TAMWORTH Regional Council is continuing to ratchet-up water restrictions in the outlying villages with Nundle and Manilla pushed to level two limits.
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The small towns will no longer be able to use garden sprinklers or fixed sprinklers from Saturday, February 10 when the restrictions come in to effect.
The lack of rain and drying river supplies have been pinned as the reasons for the restriction rise.
The ongoing lack of rain has been felt in the Peel and Namoi catchments and Tamworth Regional Council director of water and waste, Bruce Logan, said the whole region needed substantial rainfall.
“The Peel River at Nundle has now stopped flowing and council is sourcing water from the Crawney Road bore, the town’s back-up water supply,” he said.
“The flow of the Namoi River – the primary water supply for Manilla – has dropped to a volume where the flow over the Manilla Weir is less the one megalitre a day which is below the trigger for the introduction of level two restrictions under council’s drought management plan.”
Under level two restrictions sprinklers, sprays, microjet sprays and fixed hoses cannot be used.
Hand-held hoses can be used for two hours only each day between 6pm and 8am Daylight Saving Time.
Vehicles can only be washed with a hand-held hose, with a trigger nozzle attached, between the same times, but a bucket can be used any time.
Hard surfaces cannot be washed-down unless a high-pressure cleaner is used.
Residents can check which water restriction level applies to their home, as well as the rules and guidelines for each level through the council website.
